Implantable Devices

The heart’s pumping action is driven by electrical stimulation within the heart muscle. The heart’s electrical system allows it to beat in an organized pattern. Electrical signals in your heart can become blocked or irregular, causing a disruption in your heart’s normal rhythm. When your heart beats out of rhythm, it may not deliver enough blood to your body.

By using an implantable device to reduce the risk that an arrhythmia poses, you can live life more fully and with greater confidence and peace of mind. The medical devices profiled here are proven safe and effective. They enhance the lives of millions of people worldwide.

A pacemaker is a miniaturized computer that sends electrical stimulation to the heart whenever it senses that the heart is not beating or is beating too slowly. Newer pacemakers also treat heart failure by resynchronizing the electrical impulses in the heart’s four chambers and improving its ability to pump blood to the body.

An implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) is a miniaturized computer that monitors the heart’s rhythm for very fast and potentially dangerous rhythm disorders, and it delivers therapy when a dangerously fast heart rhythm is detected. Yet today's ICDs are small enough to fit easily in the palm of your hand.